Chapter 7: Small Disobedience, Big Wahala

Just as I wan sleep, dey toss for bed, na so dem open curtain, light enter my eye.

The curtain na old Ankara, but e dey block small light. As e open, the sun just slap my face. Na so my eye dey squint, I hiss, cover face with hand. Na hostel life, privacy na luxury.

From under bed, class committee Kamsi begin shout:

She dey find her shoe, dey arrange bag. Her voice loud, e fit wake dead man. "How far now, you dey sleep? Our class don reach!"

"Our class turn don reach—how you still dey sleep?"

She dey stand akimbo, eyebrow up. For Naija, when wahala dey, voice dey always loud. Roommate dey peep from corner, dey follow gist.

"If you no go, na zero we go get, you go carry all of us down!"

She dey add pressure, dey make am look like say I dey cause famine. Her voice dey crack, face dey red. Even other roommates dey shake head, dey look me.

I just look her for two seconds, raise hand, close curtain, yawn.

I yawn loud, close curtain gently. For my mind, I dey say, "Abeg, shift." I no even dey send her wahala.

"If we fail, we fail. Abeg, close mouth."

My reply sharp, voice cool. Na only for Naija you go tell person make e park well with style. Everybody for room burst small laugh.

She turn red, begin knock her five-inch heel for floor.

Her heel dey hit ground kpokpo kpokpo. Na sign of frustration. For hostel, once babe dey vex, shoe go suffer.

Five seconds later, she drag her chair with noise, sit down, squeeze face, snap:

She pull chair, sit down with force. Her face strong like yam wey no done. She dey plan next move. For her mind, she dey calculate how to break my resolve.

"If you dodge this 800-meter test, na big wahala. Dem go write you for discipline book."

She dey try scare me. For Naija, "discipline book" na like black book. Once your name enter, everybody go dey look you like thief.

"You go be the first person for class this semester to get query."

She dey paint the worst-case scenario. As if say I go be example for next year students. But I just dey smile—nothing new for Naija.

I nearly laugh die.

I cover face, try hide my smile. The fear tactics no dey work for me. E dey funny, because I know say all na gra gra.

This na their favorite scare method—class prefect and class committee.

From start, dem dey use "disciplinary record" threaten us. For group chat, even new students don sabi the line.

From start of semester, "No join group activity, na disciplinary record!" na their slogan.

E be like say dem write am for poster. Na so dem dey chant am for every group meeting.

Since dem start to dey date, na so dem dey use am to dey control everybody.

Everybody dey gist about their relationship. Na public secret. Since then, dem dey use position take do anyhow.

One time, dem pick one girl to attend three-hour seminar by visiting lecturer, but she don already buy bus ticket travel.

I remember the gist. The girl dey happy say she dey travel go see her family. But committee pick her for seminar, wahala start.

She try beg for leave, class prefect threaten am with "credit deduction" and "discipline" if she no attend.

The threat serious—dem even add group chat vote. For Naija, committee fit use power anyhow.

She gats refund her ticket money, still go sit for that boring seminar.

E pain her. Three hours of lecture wey even lecturer self dey sleep. But she no wan wahala, so she do as dem talk.

But last last, many people no show, and nothing happen about credits or discipline.

The whole thing na scam. People dodge, nothing spoil. The threat empty—just like NEPA bill.

She vex, but wetin she fit do?

For Naija, sometimes, you swallow your anger, keep am for future.

Between fake discipline threat and me fainting from pain, abeg, I go choose my own life. Their shakara no fit catch me.

I choose myself. If wahala wan land, make e land for everybody. Life first.

If class prefect pick person wey dey too obedient, maybe dem go run 800 meters even if dem sick. But he choose me, and now na me go drag the whole class score down.

Omo, na him wahala. For Naija, sometimes, if you stubborn small, dem go learn lesson.

Actually, e dey sweet me small.

The rebellion dey enter my blood. Sometimes, na small disobedience dey save person. I dey feel like local champion.

After all, last position still be position.

As dem dey say for Naija, "last last, everybody go chop breakfast." If na me be last, make dem learn.

One day, I go boast: "Na me carry all 50 of my classmates reach number one—from the back!"

Na this kind cruise dey sweet for reunion. I go tell my pikin: "Omo, I set record for school, nobody fit break."

Kamsi see say I still dey play with my phone for bed, she no fit drag me by force.

She dey eye me from corner, dey tap foot for ground. The air thick, tension full room. For hostel, once person dey stubborn, dem dey respect am small.

She just dey tap phone, screen dey hot like say she wan burn am. My phone dey vibrate, notification dey enter like rain. As I cover myself with wrapper, I know say battle never really end for Naija student. The hostel room still dey bubble with gist and tension, but as for me, I dey enjoy my small freedom, for now.